A new platform from former Apple App Store executive Phillip Shoemaker is offering creators and public figures a way to control how their face and likeness are used by AI systems and digital platforms. PersonaShield, which Shoemaker says goes live on June 26, lets people scan for unauthorized uses of their likeness, flag violations, request takedowns, and decide what to block, allow, or monetize.
The company is pitching the product as a response to generative AI tools that make it easy to recreate someone’s image without permission, which it says exposes creators to both reputational and financial harm while social media platforms struggle to keep enforcement consistent. In PersonaShield’s model, creators upload their images and set rules for how those images may be used, the platform handles takedown requests on their behalf, and fans can log in to pay for authorized use, which the company frames as a new way for creators to earn from licensed content.
PersonaShield describes its approach as a permission layer for AI identity, built on three parts: a consent and rights registry that pairs verified identity with machine-readable rules defining what is allowed, restricted, or monetized; automated monitoring and enforcement meant to shorten the time between a violation and its removal; and a licensed environment for fan-created content with provenance and revenue sharing. The company calls the category likeness governance, and says it is starting with image-based content and a group of founding creators.
The launch fits a growing push to give people control over how their image is used in AI, a concern that has drawn both legislation and startups, from Denmark’s move to regulate AI deepfakes of real people to funding for ActorShield to protect performers from unauthorized AI use of their likeness. Shoemaker previously led App Store review at Apple and founded Identity.org, a non-profit focused on digital rights and how AI affects identity online.
“AI isn’t the problem. The problem is that nobody asked,” Shoemaker said, arguing that a person’s likeness carries their reputation and livelihood. “This is about turning identity from something you defend into something you control.” As a newly launched service, PersonaShield’s reach will depend on how widely platforms and creators adopt it; the company said it is currently onboarding founding creators to help shape the product.
Sources: PersonaShield
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By Ali Nassar-Smith
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